Urinals



Nov. 2, 1965 v. H. WALLENBERG URINALS Filed May 17, 1963 IN V EN TOR. We 70: Ham W41 Li/VfiEAG United States Patent 3,215,143 URKNALS Victor Henri Wallenherg, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Hilma Anna Ruth Ester Malmhorg, Stockholm, and Mary Alfhild Haggliif, Saltsjohaden, Sweden Filed May 17, 1963, Ser. No. 281,224 Claims priority, application Sweden, Sept. 28, 1962, 10,443/62 10 Claims. (Cl. 128-295) The present invention relates to a urinal which has considerable advantages as compared with other devices of this kind.

Urinals must often be used by elderly men sutfering from prostrate gland trouble, which causes involuntary emptying of the urine bladder.

Many different designs of urinals are oifered on the market, but all of them are impaired by considerable disadvantages. It appears that the greatest difliculty is to make these devices seal in all different positions of the body, i.e. sitting, reclining and actively erect, maintain the correct position without the need for too hard strapping against the body, and without it being necessary to manipulate a series of securing means, such as a waistbelt to fix the vertical position, and straps around the thighs to fix the lateral position etc.

The present invention provides a urinal which is particularly simple to apply to the body, in that it is provided with a single securing means but, notwithstanding this, will fit firmly and effectively prevent leakage of liquid from the container used for collecting the urine.

The urinal according to the invention comprises an annular element with a peripheral groove; a bag-like container of watertight flexible material, such as plastic or rubber, the open end of which is designed to be fitted over the annular element and firmly squeezed into the peripheral groove; and a resilient clip, which can be made to clasp the annular element and retain the bag-like container in the peripheral groove, said clip having a lower arm or extension bent into the same shape as the crotch or gap between the buttocks, and to which both parts of an elastic harness fitted over the users shoulder are connected.

For a more detailed explanation of the invention, reference will be made to an exemplified embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing in which: FIG. 1 is a side view of the device with the clip fitted in the peripheral groove of the annular element, but without the liquid container in position. FIG. 2 is a front view of the annular element. FIG. 3 is a front view of the clip. FIG. 4 shows the annular element in the same manner as FIG. 1, but with the open end of the liquid container fitted over the element and with the end of the container tucked into the aperture in the element.

The urinal of this invention comprises an annular element 1 of relatively stiff material, e.g. a suitable plastic, the said element having a peripheral groove 2. The aperture 5 in the annular element has well-rounded edges, as shown. This aperture 5 can be centrally located in a circular element, as shown.

A clip 6 acts together with the annular element and is designed to engage the peripheral groove 2 of element 1, as shown in FIG. 1, and to firmly squeeze into this groove a bag-like liquid container 7 (FIG. 4) fitted over the element and made of some suitable watertight and flexible material, such as plastic film or rubber.

The design of the clip 6 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3. The clip is made of spring wire 8, e.g. of stainless steel. The wire is bent into the form of a ring 9 open at the top and designed to be inserted in the peripheral groove 2 of the annular element 1. The ring is closed with the aid of locking means formed by the free ends of the wire legs. As shown in FIG. 3, the ends of the legs 10 and 11 are bent in different directions (diverging) and one of the legs (the right hand one 11 in FIG. 3) is longer than the other 10 and is bent back towards the latter, as shown at 12, so that when the clip 6 is clasped around the bottom of the peripheral groove 2 in the annular element 1, both legs will together form a triangle. Of the two ends of the legs, one of them 11 is formed with a small eye 13, and the other 10 with a hook 14 designed to be hooked into the eye 13.

Immediately opposite the upper opening 15, the spring wires 8 forming the clip 6 are pressed together into a narrow extension or arm 16, in which the two parts 8' and 8" run close together. Both the arm or extension 16 of the clip and the ring-shaped part 9 of the clip engaging the peripheral groove 2 of the annular element 1 are suitably enclosed in some soft or flexible material 17, e.g. rubber or plastic hose.

The lower arm or extension 16 of the wire clip is, as shown in FIG. 1, bent back in a curve which corresponds essentially with the shape of the crotch or gap between the buttocks, and forms a very important part of the device according to the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, clip 6 is connected to a harness consisting of an upper part 18 and a lower part 19. The upper part 18 can suitably consist of, for example an elastic strap, one end of which 20 is brought around and secured on to the bent-back part 12 of the leg 11 of the wire 3, and the other end of the elastic strap is fastened in a similar manner to one side of a principally triangular element 21 of wire, which at the opposite corner is bent into a narrow loop or notch 22. The lower part 19 of the harness consists preferably of an extension of the rubber or plastic hose 17 enclosing the lower arm or extension 16 of the clip and is provided at its end with an element in the form of a button 23 or similar element with a neck 24 which can be inserted in the narrow loop 22 of the element 21, to connect lower part 19 of the harness to the upper part 18 for application of the urinary receptor to the body.

FIG. 4 shows schematically how a container of plastic film or similar material is to be connected to the annular element 1. This element is inserted to a suitable depth into the open end of container 7, whereafter the end of the container is tucked in through aperture 5, as shown at 25. When this has been done, the clip 6 is fitted into the peripheral groove 2 of the annular element 1 and is squeezed together. The hook 14 of the locking means is then brought into engagement with the eye 13, so that the ring 9 of the clip is closed and by means of its spring action will securely retain the plastic container 7 in the groove 2.

When applying the device to the body, the curved backward-bent lower arm or extension 16 of clip 6 is brought into the crotch, and both parts 18, 19 of the harness are hooked together over one shoulder of the user. The upper part 18 of the harness is suitably made so short that the clasping means 21, 22, 23, 24 will be at the chest and therefore readily accessible. Further the harness can be adjustable in length, in a way not shown in detail but which is already known, in order to permit it to fit different-sized patients.

The arm or extension 16 of clip 6 engaging crotch provides effective lateral location and fixture of the urinal, so that thigh straps previously necessary for this purpose are dispensed with. The device can be fitted on to the body in a few seconds and after fitting it will fit very securely without causing discomfort. If considered suitable, the harness can also be provided with an additional part designed to pass over the other shoulder. In general, however, this harness construction is unnecessary.

Due to the curve of the clip arm 16 and the elastic upward pressure of the harness 18, 19 a certain difference in levels is assured between the level of liquid in the container 7 and the lowest point of the aperture 5 when the user assumes a reclining position. This difference in levels is valuable in preventing leakage. By tucking in the open end of container 7 into the aperture 5, as shown at 25 in FIG. 4, a lower space 26 is formed, opening towards the inside of the container only and forming an additional effective hindrance against leakage in any unfavorable position.

Instead of a liquid container 7 of flexible material, as shown, naturally if so desired a rigid bottle can be used, in which case a suitable procedure would be to cut off the closed lower part of the plastic container, fastened to the annular element 1 in the manner described, and insert the remainder of the open end to a suitable depth in the bottle.

Naturally, various modifications of the device described are conceivable within the framework of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A urinal comprising an annular element with a groove in its external peripheral surface, a bag-like container of watertight, flexible material, the open end portion of which is disposed over the annular element and firmly squeezed into said peripheral groove, a resilient clip embracing the annular element for retaining the open end portion of the bag-like container in said peripheral groove, said clip having a lower curved arm extending therefrom of the same shape as the crotch between the buttocks of the wearer, and a shoulder harness connected to opposite sides of said urinal and extending upwardly over the shoulder of the wearer.

2. A urinal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the harness comprises two parts, at least one of which is elastic, connecting means at the free ends of the harness parts, and the lengths of the parts of the hardness being such that the connecting means will be located readily accessible on the users chest.

3. A urinal as claimed in claim 2, wherein one part of the hardness forms a flexible extension of the lower, curved arm extending from the clip.

4. A urinal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip together with its lower arm is formed from a single wire bent back upon itself intermediate its ends to provide two parts connected at the lower end thereof and lying side by side to form the lower arm, said parts diverging at the upper end of said arm to form two semicircular portions for embracing the annular element, and the upper free ends of the two semicircular portions being bent to form cooperating interengaging locking means.

5. A urinal as claimed in claim 4, wherein the parts of the wires forming the semicircular portions and the lower arm are covered with a suitable soft elastic material.

6. A urinal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bag-like container is firmly clasped about the annular element a certain distance inside the mouth of the container, and the open end of the container is tucked into the aperture of the annular element.

7. In a urinal having a bag, the improvement comprising an annular element with a groove in its external peripheral surface, a resilient clip embracing the annular element, said clip having a lower curved arm extending therefrom of the same shape as the crotch between the buttocks of the wearer, and harness means connected to said urinal for retaining said element against the body of the wearer.

8. A urinal as claimed in claim 7, said clip being of wire and said arm being a pair of lengths of said wire, said harness means having a flexible tubular portion encompassing said pair of lengths of wire.

9. A urinal as claimed in claim 7, said clip having separable clasp portions opposite said arm for the releasable retention of said harness means.

10. A urinal as claimed in claim 7, said arm being stitT.

References (Zited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 913,983 3/09 Scheller et a1. 128295 1,928,175 9/33 Hailey 128-295 2,869,548 1/59 Mason 128283 2,920,625 1/60 Green 128--283 FOREIGN PATENTS 825,127 12/51 Germany.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 

1. A URINAL COMPRISING AN ANNULAR ELEMENT WITH A GROOVE IN ITS EXTERNAL PERIPHERAL SURFACE, A BAG-LIKE CONTAINER OF WATERTIGHT, FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, THE OPEN END PORTION OF WHICH IS DISPOSED OVER THE ANNULAR ELEMENT AND FIRMLY SQUEEZED INTO SAID PERIPHERAL GROOVE, A RESILIENT CLIP EMBRACING THE ANNULAR ELEMENT FOR RETAINING THE OPEN END PORION OF THE BAG-LIKE CONTAINER IN SAID PERIPHERAL GROOVE, SAID CLIP HAVING A LOWER CURVED ARM EXTENDING THEREFROM OF THE SAME SHAPE AS THE CROTCH BETWEEN THE BUTTOCKS OF THE WEARER, AND A SHOULDER HARNESS CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID URINAL AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY OVER THE SHOULDER OF THE WEARER. 